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When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journal of Staying Put [Hardcover]

Vivian Swift
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 28, 2008

A charming, illustrated celebration of puttering, doodling, daydreaming, and settling down after years on the road.

Following a lifetime of trekking across the globe, Vivian Swift racked up twenty-three temporary addresses in twenty years, finally dropped her well-worn futon mattress and rucksack in a small town on the edge of the Long Island Sound. She spent the next decade quietly taking stock of her life, her immediate surroundings, and, finally, what it means to call a place a home.

The result is When Wanderers Cease to Roam. Filled with watercolors of beautiful local landscapes, seasonal activities, and small, overlooked pleasures of easy living, each chapter chronicles, month by month, the beautifully mundane perks of remaining at home—from curious notices in the local paper to the variations of autumnal clouds. At once gorgeously rendered and wholly original, this delightful and masterfully observed year of staying put shows us how the details of travel and the details of our lives remain with us—how they can nurture and sustain us, and how the past and the present become, in the end, intertwined.


Frequently Bought Together

When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journal of Staying Put + Le Road Trip: A Traveler's Journal of Love and France + Doodling in French: How to Draw with Joie de Vivre
Price for all three: $44.18

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Vivian Swift is a freelance writer and former assistant vice president of Christie's Inc. This is her first book.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; First Edition (states and 1 in number line) edition (October 28, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1596914610
  • ISBN-13: 978-1596914612
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
(46)
4.8 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Vivian Swift has led an interesting, nomadic life. After living in 23 different places in 20 years, she decided to stay put in a small village on Long Island Sound. When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's Journal of Staying Put is so much more than her journal for a year of "staying put." This is one of those books that is hard to categorize or describe. Yes, it is a journal, but it also tells of Vivian's past (she's kept a journal since she was 19.) There are some tidbits of news from the local village and some delightful quotes. There are also some interesting facts about things like the teacup handle and why we start our year with January. And, oh, the illustrations! Some of that may sound dull, but this book is anything but!

I adored this book. The drawings are beautiful and I found myself poring over every detail in them. The best thing about this book, though, is the fact that it reminds us to take delight in and be thankful for the small, everyday things in life - things like a bird's feather, an animal's tracks in the snow, or a shady spot in the summer. This book was published by Bloomsbury on October 28.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful seasonal collage December 24, 2008
Format:Hardcover
This remarkable book is very difficult to explain. On the back cover, author Vivian Swift calls it an "illustrated chronicle," but that descriptor suggests a story or at least a loose stringing together of related events. Rather than a "chronicle," When Wanderers Cease to Roam is more of a seasonal collage. The book progresses month by month through Swift's life in a small village on the Long Island Sound and is stuffed full of the author's watercolor paintings, drawings, and related musings. Swift hand lettered the entire book, including the front page with the publishing information and the ISBN numbers. I haven't come across anything so carefully crafted in a long time.

In January, we are treated to watercolors of snowy country scenes and pen-and-ink drawings of snowmen and winter gulls in various poses. There's also a mini-memoir describing five of Swift's notable past birthdays, including: "Celebrating at the King David Hotel (built in 1931) in Jerusalem (founded in 2000 BCE) where the tomates provencals are unforgettable and I have no idea that my soldier dining companion will become my first husband. I am 30." February is a homage to travel while May focuses on gardens and gardening. Some of the book's most beautiful watercolors are of the night sky in July.

When Wanderers Cease to Roam won't appeal to everyone. It's slightly cutesy in places and contains plenty of cats and tea cups. Although I usually abhor such books, I was utterly charmed by this one. Judging by the glowing reviews this book is receiving, I'm not alone.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book! Charming. Perfect hostess gift. November 6, 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I loved this book. It's absolutely charming - both in the writing and in the artwork (which the author also did). She has a way of writing about common every-day things in a way that makes you look at them differently. I know that sounds like a cliche, but it's really true. For instance, she has a page on mud. Yes, mud. And, believe it or not, after reading that page, I was fascinated by mud and the different kinds of mud. I wouldn't have believed that to be possible. Whenever I'm someone's houseguest, I always bring a gift for my host/hostess. I used to bring candles or baked goods. But now I'm going to give copies of this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Treat Yourself and Buy this book
Full of inspirational ideas and feel good stories and glimpses of the ordinary day to day made extraordinary. Makes my world around me all new to see.
Published 4 days ago by Anne Jeffries
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book, incredibly creative!
What a beautiful book! Every page captures your attention and has you curious for more. I leave this book in the living room and refer to it regularly. Read more
Published 8 days ago by TampaSyl
5.0 out of 5 stars This One's A Keeper
You know the books you read and re-read for years after?
WHEN WANDERERS CEASE TO ROAM is one of those wonderful books. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Maryanne Schuessler
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Delightful
Loved her way of viewing the world around her and her watercolors are lovely. A good book to leave on the table just to pick up and read or reread a few pages at a time.
Published 1 month ago by Rosemary Dexter
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful
What a lovely discovery to find this book. I felt like I was right there with Vivian on her daily walks, finding a lost glove or two, and sitting across from her drinking tea out... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Merry S. Faith
5.0 out of 5 stars Full of wonderful surprises
The cover says this book is about "staying put," but it's really about traveling. Ms. Swift fills her journal with memories of amazing trips she has taken throughout her... Read more
Published 1 month ago by WanderingReader
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Book
Would recommend to anyone who wants a little light reading to do. Perfect for sitting on the beach - May look like a children's book but very relatable for adults!
Published 2 months ago by Kristin
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book
Great illustrations, nice memoir of a woman who has traveled a great deal but now is content to sat home.
Published 2 months ago by Marjorie L. Siefke
5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely book.
A inspiring book about a woman maturing. Easy to read with beautiful sketches. This book is very tough to put down.
Published 6 months ago by Dawn S.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Gem
This is a gorgeous book that combines a nature journal and a travel journal, with some diary thrown in. Read more
Published 8 months ago by booksy
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